The European Commission has extended Greece’s visa-on-arrival scheme for Turkish nationals visiting selected islands for another year, until April 2026.
The decision will take effect on April 1, 2025, and it’s expected to bring in a large number of Turkish citizens, Schengen.News reports.
The European Commission welcomed the implementation of the program in the past 12 months, stressing that it brings a positive contribution to tightening connections between both countries, according to a report from Insider.
Intensified Efforts to Continue Visa-On-Arrival Scheme Throughout 2025
The visa-on-arrival Scheme permits short-term stays from one to seven days to 12 Greek islands for Turkish nationals.
The program which is faster than the Schengen visa application process, allows the issuance of visas to Turkish nationals upon arrival at designated ports.
The Greek islands that can be visited through this scheme are:
- Kalymnos
- Kastellorizo
- Kos
- Lesbos (Lesvos)
- Leros
- Limnos
- Rhodes
- Samos
- Symi
- Chios (Hios)
- Patmos
- Samothrace
Authorities in the Hellenic Republic implemented the program for Turkish nationals on April 1, 2024, following an agreement reached between the Prime Minister of Greece, Kyriakos Mitsotakis and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.
Since November last year, authorities in Greece intensified their efforts to continue the visa-on-arrival scheme throughout the year for Turkish nationals.
Over 100,000 Visas Issued Within a Year
Based on the figures from Greece’s Minister of Shipping, Christos Stylianidis more than 100,000 express visas were issued to Turkish tourists travelling to Greek islands from April 1, 2024, until November 2024. The Minister considered the program very successful.
About 400,000 Turkish tourists passed through the islands of Greece in the peak summer season.
The figures from the General Police Directorate of the North Aegean revealed that only in three islands of the Northeast Aegean until the end of August, an additional 54,373 visas were issued.
Greece and Turkey, we are not just neighbours. We are partners, especially in the shipping sector. The two countries are also traditional partners in the International Maritime Organization (IMO), where we have developed a close and productive cooperation. And we have supported each other on various occasions.
Over 1 Million Turkish Tourists in 2024
Last year, a total of 1,153,727 Turkish tourists travelled from Türkiye to the Greek islands, on 8,629 ferry routes, accounting for a 93 per cent surge compared to the statistics from 2023.
The surge in the number of Turkish visitors also resulted from the visa-on-arrival scheme.
Some local reports in Türkiye said “We made Greece rich” or “We have benefited Greece, one of our competitors in tourism, by ten per cent,” referring to the increasing number of Turkish tourists to Greece.
